Pope Benedict in Krakow, Home of John Paul II

MELISSA BLOCK, host:

Pope Benedict XVI is also traveling abroad. He celebrated mass in Warsaw, Poland, today. He did so at the same place where his Polish predecessor John Paul II urged Poles to stand up against communism in 1979. Today Benedict spoke of the need to uphold traditional Catholic beliefs and he once again denounced moral relativism.

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli covered the Pope's appearance in Warsaw before traveling to his next stop, Krakow.

SYLVIA POGGIOLI reporting:

The faithful began gathering in the early hours of the morning and stood for hours under pouring rain, cowering under umbrellas and plastic sheets. They listened intently as the German Pope spoke in Polish and Italian. His homily was dedicated to upholding the church's unchanging tradition. He urged the faithful not to yield to the temptation of relativism or to a selective interpretation of the sacred scriptures.

Pope BENEDICT XVI: (Through translator) As in past centuries, so also today there are people or groups who obscure this centuries old tradition, seeking to falsify the word of Christ and to remove from the Gospel those truths, which in their view are too uncomfortable for modern man. They try to give the impression that everything is relative.

POGGIOLI: Benedict has not received the overwhelming enthusiasm Poles reserved for the man they called “our Pope.” Dominic Borovsky(ph), a Polish journalist who writes for Catholic publications and who was close to John Paul, says Poles still have a wait and see attitude toward the German pope.

Mr. DOMINIC BOROVSKY (Polish journalist): The young generation, I think it's -he's a continuation to John Paul II. For the other, I think that it's not yet very clear. Here - everything is divided here. Even the religion. It's left or right.

POGGIOLI: The Pope has often spoken out in dismay over growing secularism in Europe. He has made clear that he sees this devote Catholic nation, with its new church friendly government, as a model for the rest of the continent. But the victory last fall of the governing parties is credited in part to the influential Catholic network Radio Maria, which often broadcasts anti-Semitic commentaries. Many Polish bishops are worried about Poland's resurgent anti-Semitism.

In Old Warsaw, souvenir stands are filled with hand carved wooden figurines. Some are in old Polish costumes. Others are shocking for many foreign tourists, stereotype caricatures of Jews with big hook noses holding bags of gold coins tight to their chests. A wood carver named Alex proudly shows tourists his wares.

ALEX (Polish wood carver): This is Jewish banker.

POGGIOLI: No problem.

ALEX: No problem.

POGGIOLI: Dominic Borovsky says this example shows that anti-Semitism has deep roots in Polish society and he bemoans the fact that not all Poles fully embraced all the teachings of John Paul II.

Mr. BOROVSKY: The anti-Semitism here, it's very -

POGGIOLI: Ingrained?

Mr. BOROVSKY: Ingrained, yes. Here religion doesn't count. The people, even Radio Maria, who are Catholic and attached to the Catholic Church, for them, the Jews, they follow only bad (unintelligible), very negative.

POGGIOLI: The Pope is very concerned about the persistence of the old demon of anti-Semitism, which could jeopardize his vision of Poland as a springboard for a Europe rooted in Christian values. Last month, the Vatican reprimanded Radio Maria and ordered Polish bishops to rein in the broadcaster. Vatican reporter Marco Politi says he believes Poles are already getting the message.

Mr. MARCO POLITI (Vatican reporter): The presence of the Pope will also make the Polish society think more about the need to fight continuously anti-Semitic tendencies.

POGGIOLI: The highpoint of Benedict's Polish visit will come Sunday when he goes to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. On his flight from Rome he said, from there we hope will be born a new sense of humanism and of humanity, so as to prevent similar things in the future.

Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Krakow.

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